Huge levels of public support have met a call to keep Epping Forest ‘free of charge for the people’.

Parking and cycling charges could be introduced in the forest by the City of London Corporation (CoL), which has also proposed changing the 140-year-old Epping Forest Act in parliament.

The corporation hopes the changes, which will be debated in the House of Commons in January or February next year, will allow greater control and increase opportunities to use the forest to raise money.

Now, more than 1,100 people have signed a petition to the CoL’s Forest and Commons Committee in just two days, saying simply: “Keep Epping Forest free of charge for the people.”

A statement for the petition, set up by the Epping Forest Forum, says: “Epping Forest is one of the last great spaces that is free to access and visit and that is how it should always be.

“It is time to establish a proper framework where ‘the people’, forest users and local residents can have proper representation and consideration in how the forest is managed.”

It adds: “Charges for parking or use of the forest goes against the general spirit and intentions of the Epping Forest Act.

“It will inhibit access and enjoyment of the forest and create displacement parking issues in many areas which will have to be dealt with by local councils at public expense.”

Forum organiser Paul Morris said the size of the public response to the petition shows how strongly people oppose the corporation’s changes.

He said: “I think yet again it shows… that there is a complete separation between what the City of London think and what the people think.

“It is quite obvious when you look at the comments that people think the forest should be kept open and kept free.”

He added: “I hope that at some point the committee will see common sense and realise that the forest has to remain free and accessible.”

At a recent public meeting, CoL forest superintendent Paul Thomson said charging cyclists could happen in future, although a spokeswoman said today there are no plans for this “at the moment”.

Sue Ireland, CoL director of open spaces, said: “At Epping Forest we are introducing car parking charges in less than 10 per cent of our car parks from next year to bring us in line both with our other open spaces and other sites across the UK such as those managed by the Forestry Commission and the National Trust.

“We are aware that some commuters and shoppers use our spaces because they are free and this is a way for us to reclaim the spaces for genuine forest users.

“All income will be spent on management of the forest.

“We recognise the fact that so many people care passionately about Epping Forest and aim to have an on-going dialogue with local community groups.”

The forum is planning another public meeting to discuss the corporation’s proposals.

To view the petition, visit https://www.change.org/p/city-of-london-epping-forest-commons-committee-keep-epping-forest-free-of-charge-for-the-people.